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To: drmorgan who wrote (14791)	4/14/1998 10:31:00 PM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

More: Analyst: Internet2 means wider bandwidth for universities CNN Interactive - April 14, 1998 Web posted at: 5:39 PM EDT (1739 GMT) CNN Interactive talked to Dan Lavin, senior Internet technology analyst from the research firm Dataquest, to find out more about Internet2 and why it is so important. Q: There are some big technology companies that are involved in building the I2 (Cisco Systems, Northern Telecom, Qwest, 3Com, MCI). What's in it for them? A: These companies have been involved in providing technology to the Internet for years. IBM and MCI were among the very early players on the NSF net, the National Science Foundation net, to help them develop their educational connections between supercomputers. What this does is give them a leg up in terms of technology ... as they service their industrial clients, they already have a pretty good idea of what's going on. It's a way for them to stay on top of future technologies and stay at the cutting edge. cnn.com o~~~ O

To: drmorgan who wrote (14791)	4/16/1998 4:32:00 PM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

Microsoft Says It's Committed to Combining Browser, Windows 98 Washington, April 16 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. intends to ship Windows 98 with all its integrated features even though the much-publicized launch could mean a new Justice Department antitrust lawsuit, a company official said. Microsoft has no plans to allow computer makers to remove direct access to the Internet or provide a separate version of Window 98 without the integrated functions, said Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel for law and corporate affairs, in an interview with Bloomberg News. ''Every company in America has the right to make good products better,'' Smith said when asked whether Microsoft would compromise to avoid a court fight. ''We'd certainly prefer to avoid litigation,'' he said. ''But that's not to suggest we regard the avoidance of litigation as more significant than the fundamental principle of the ability to make our product better. . .That is more important than anything else.'' Integration of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser with Windows 95 -- the company's current personal computer operating system -- is at the core of the Justice Department's existing suit against the software giant. The government says Microsoft shouldn't force computer makers to offer Internet Explorer if they want to license Windows 95, which fires up 90 percent of the world's new personal computers. Microsoft contends the browser and operating system are one integrated product. Windows 98, due to be shipped to computer makers May 15 and available to consumers on June 25, could face similar charges. That operating system more closely integrates Internet browser technology as well as other new features. Microsoft officials met Friday with Justice Department antitrust chief Joel Klein to discuss ways to avoid a new antitrust suit. Also, the company and antitrust enforcers will face off in an appeals court hearing April 21 on the government's existing lawsuit. Emphatic Defense Smith's emphatic defense of Microsoft's plans for Windows 98 seems to contrast with Microsoft's recent conciliatory moves. In recent weeks, the company has scrapped exclusivity provisions in contracts with larger Internet service providers, such as AT&T Corp. and AOL Inc., and Internet content providers, including Walt Disney Co. and Time Warner Inc. Maintaining that these agreements were legal, Microsoft officials said they decided to change them to re-focus attention on the more fundamental issue of its right to innovate its products. Smith disputed the argument offered by some antitrust experts that Microsoft could avoid a long costly court fight with the federal government if it just made available a version of Windows without Internet Explorer and other integrated technologies. ''It doesn't make sense to offer a product for which there is no consumer demand,'' he said, noting that this would drive development and distribution costs for Microsoft and open the door to more government intervention. ''Ultimately, it's a path that leads the government into making decision not only about product design but about price.'' Microsoft shares fell 7/8 in late morning trading to 90 1/2. o~~~ O

To: drmorgan who wrote (14791)	4/19/1998 8:56:00 AM
From: Moonray	Respond to of 22053

Comdex Computer Show in Chicago Next Week Features Bill Gates Chicago, April 17 (Bloomberg) -- Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates will open the giant Comdex computer trade show Monday in Chicago, where personal computer technology from setting up an online shop to melding the PC and the TV will take center stage. The Comdex/Spring show is expected to draw more than 85,000 people to the cavernous McCormick Place convention center by the time it closes Thursday. Some 625 businesses from the computer and communications industry will have exhibits. Companies including Casio Inc. and Gateway 2000 Inc. will show off all manner of low-cost, portable and handheld computers, Internet phones, and set-top boxes and wireless keyboards that blur the distinction between a TV and a PC. Visitors will get a chance to kick the tires on scores of new products. ''What will be on display will be in the stores later this year,'' said William Sell, general manager of Comdex. Two other shows run concurrently with Comdex: Windows World 98, highlighting software development, products and trends and Expo Comm USA, which focuses on telecommunications. Hundreds of new products are expected to be displayed. Gates will talk about the benefits of innovation and integration of new features in the PC industry, said Microsoft spokesman Bill Zolna. He'll also address the need for openness, partnership and choice in the PC industry, Zolna said. Microsoft is trying to defuse charges of monopolistic behavior by the Justice Department by adopting a more collaborative approach. Bert Roberts, chairman of MCI Communications Corp., is set to speak Tuesday on the explosive growth of the Internet. On Wednesday, William Esrey, chairman and chief executive of Sprint Corp., will discuss advanced telecommunications networks. Chicago Venue Although large by any standard, the Chicago Comdex show is about half the size of the annual Comdex/Fall in Las Vegas, which can draw twice as many people and take up quadruple the convention floor space. Comdex was in Chicago in 1996, when the Olympics bumped it from its long-time home in Atlanta. Comdex's Sell said event owners have a 10-year commitment to Chicago because the show outgrew the Atlanta venue and because Chicago is ranked either first or second among U.S. markets for networked computer systems and headquarters for large industrial and service corporations, including Motorola Inc., Amoco Corp. and CNA Financial Corp. Also scheduled to speak is Paul Otellini, an Intel Corp. vice president, who will discuss on Tuesday how Intel's products will redefine how people work, learn, play and shop. Peter Van Camp, president of CompuServe Network Services, will talk on Monday about the impact of the Internet on business. And Howard Charney, senior vice president of Cisco Systems Inc., will talk Wednesday about ''the Internet generation.'' Windows World 98 will feature a Technology Futures Showcase that illustrates how advanced technology can be used for everyday tasks. It will include cars equipped with an Auto PC that lets the driver look up directions, a piano based on Microsoft's Windows software and Internet-enabled telephones. Comdex is sponsored by Ziff-Davis Inc., which publishes computer-related magazines and is a unit of Tokyo-based Softbank Corp. o~~~ O